Applejack's Dress
by Otter Commander
Summary: Granny Smith has passed away, and Rarity offers to make Applejack a dress, but soon runs into trouble after running out of fabric for the fanciest green dress ever.
1. Chapter 1: Granny Smith Gone

It was a somber day after Granny Smith's passing; she was to be buried in the family plot, under an old apple tree which had been planted a thousand years ago. It was a big old tree, and because of its age, it had actually turned up several pony graves; sometimes, the ponies would pound the dead back into the ground and forget all about the old bones.

Applejack was depressed at the loss of her family member; her mane was droopy and her tail dragged on the ground, getting mud. Of course, trailing mud got the attention of Rarity. The unicorn approached her pony friend and she placed a hoof on Applejack's shoulder.

"Your tail is dragging in the mud. Whatever for? Is this because of Granny Smith?" Rarity breathed deep. "Yes, I can understand. What are you going to wear for the funeral? Is this what it is?"

Applejack was wearing an old dress that was torn and dirty. She looked and nodded, not wanting to reveal the tears brimming in her eyes, dripping down the medial canthus and brushing the third eyelid; Rarity saw the tears anyways, and she began to weep along with her friend, placing a hoof over her eyes and making a sweep of her tail in a dramatic way only a pony meant for Canterlot could.

"I wish I could help to alleviate your pain! Oh, I know what to do! I shall make you a dress, a dress for this occasion! It shall be the most beautiful dress ever made, and sure to bring light into such a dark occasion."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Rarity." Applejack's voice was cracking, and she looked to the ground. "I… I don't know how to pay you back."

"Oh, do not fear! Applejack, just say the color you want and the dress shall be ready!" Rarity tossed her head back.

"Granny Smith is green, and she did the spring and summer. I think that a green dress would fit just fine."

"Oh, then do not fear!" Rarity gasped, and she trotted off. "I shall get you a green dress, one that will commemorate Granny Smith! Free of charge and beautiful to behold. Don't worry, darling, this will be the best!"


	2. Chapter 2: Cutie Mark Crusader Dress

Rarity set to work on the green dress, sewing and stitching and designing. The dress's layout was very beautiful, a flowing dress with a train dancing behind, a collar rising to protect the delicate face of the pony who would wear it. Applejack would love the dress, Rarity was sure of it. Even though this was for a funeral, why not make a dress that would impress?

True, Rarity didn't understand the fact that a funeral dress had to be dark and somber, but Granny Smith had known a lot of people; maybe someone important would show up! The dress was looking amazing, green and with designs of apples; this would surely bring life to such a dark occasion.

Applejack stopped by and looked in, but Rarity hid the dress. Applejack's eyes were teary, but she stood strong and said, "I appreciate what you are doing for me. Everyone else will be wearing such beautiful dresses as well. Instead of dark colors, we figured we'd celebrate Granny's life. Well, I'll be on my way, there is a lot of planning we have to do."

Rarity smiled and then, as Applejack left, continued to work on the dress; it was really coming to life, an array of spring life with the playfulness summer provides. Suddenly, Rarity realized that the thread and the fabric she was using was completely out. She went through the house and looked for more fabric, but all of a sudden, the Cutie Mark Crusaders came running through and knocked the dress onto the floor, getting dirty hooves all over. Rarity was angered, and she took a deep breath to begin yelling.

"We'll fix it, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle promised, grabbing the dress with her teeth. She ran out with her friends, and they proceeded to get more dirt over the dress. This drove Rarity over the edge; this dress was for Applejack, to honor the memory of Granny Smith!

"SWEETIE BELLE!" Rarity roared, grabbing at her sister. The other ponies ran, but the door was shut by the magic Rarity had. "Where am I ever going to get green fabric for the dress?"

"I… I don't know." Sweetie Belle backed up.

"Look at the time! Look! If I get fabric now, I won't be able to trim it up to pony-shape in time for the funeral."

Scootaloo shivered. "Maybe… maybe we can help?"

"Come to think of it," Rarity hissed, stepping forward. "I need a dress to wear as well. Perhaps you would like to help me with this?"

"Sure!" Sweetie Belle suddenly said, jumping at the opportunity to help her sister.

"Then hold still, Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Rarity used her magic to pick up all loose pins and needles, proceeding to impale the ponies.

Have you ever pricked your finger? It hurts; you begin to bleed, and then it stops, but the pain still rings. Rarity was angry now, and something compelled her to throw a storm of needles at the little ponies. She laughed with glee at the squealing of the ponies, as the rain of blood poured down. She would make an orange, yellow and white dress, a perfect color combination.

When the carcasses lay before her, Rarity took trimming scissors to peel the skin off. Blood came spurting out, and Rarity had to trim the fat away; little ponies have chubby bits that need to be removed before drying. The tendons were pulled away, more fat scraped, bones removed to make jewelry and the blood wiped.

The skinned ponies lay lifeless, their skins tossed over a mannequin. Suddenly, Scootaloo twitched; she was still alive, but not for long. She was pink and red all over, covered in blood. Her eyelids were gone so her eyes were beady and frightened.

"Rarity?"

"Yes?"

Scootaloo coughed and a single tear ran from her exposed tear duct. "What are you going to do for the green fabric?"

Rarity thought for a moment, but she couldn't reply before Scootaloo lay dead. While her dress was drying, stitched together nicely in a gory collage, Rarity still needed to get green fabric. For a moment, Rarity pushed at the moist new fabric for her own dress, stepping in the greasy fat and blood. The copper smell of body fluids floated around the house, the fecal matter dripping from the anus's of the dead ponies, the release of their body in the final fright.

"Where would I get fabric for right now? Oh, I know. What a fright this room is, though." Rarity cleaned up the house, disposing of the skinless Cutie Mark Crusaders. All of a sudden, she noticed something near the rump of Sweetie Belle's skin; it was a little mark. She had gotten her cutie mark! It was a cute little heart with lace around it.

Although she had her own dress ready, Rarity thought about Applejack and how she needed green fabric. It was late at night, everypony sleeping, no stores opened. She shrugged and then suddenly remembered about Granny Smith, still lying in the barn, with perfectly green skin….


	3. Chapter 3: Sludgy Blood

Getting old Granny Smith to the shop was easy; skinning the old nag was not. Granny Smith's corpse stank already, bloated and oozing all over, but the greasy skin was still good. Rarity happily began to cut a knife into the bulging neck; she heard the body gases puff out, a greenish vapor that stank like heck! Trimming the skin away, Rarity was horrified to find that some of the flesh was hopelessly rotted.

The skin on the face was sagging, coming off like a charm, but the rump provided more of a challenge. Rarity felt a macabre sense of joy as she trimmed the old skin away, all the way to peeling the skin down the thighs and to the hoof. The cutie mark she tossed away and the blood was mixed with flour to make a thicker paint. She turned the white mane and tail into beautiful pieces of lace and adorned them to the pony-dress.

Black, thick, nothing more than sludge; Rarity turned her nose up at the blood, but she continued her work. She soaked the hide in some water and then let it dry. Once the skin was dry she began to shape and mold it into a dress, one that she decorated with several bits of Cutie Mark Crusader pieces. Scootaloo's skull made quite a nice ornament for the headdress, Rarity had to admit, but in order for her crime not to be known she trimmed the nostril out, removed the brain and the tongue and began to paint the skull.

Finally, after several hours, the dress was finished. Rarity took it in her mouth and left her house. She was greeted outside by Applejack.

"What a dress!" Applejack exclaimed, and she put the dress on. "I love it. It's just the same color as Granny Smith! I love the hat, too. It really looks like a pony's head."

"Oh darling," Rarity replied. "You don't know the half of it."


End file.
